Finally decided to quit nursing
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Hi everyone. I have been a nurse for over 7 years and for the past year I have debated getting out of the profession for good. I had just finished the week long hospital orientation for a new job and... Read More

You made a poor financial decision but sometimes we have to do what we have to do and money can't always be the bottom line. I quit teaching with no job (and no savings) lined up. I ended up temping for a while, found a permanent position, and eventually went to nursing school. When I handed in my letter of resignation the principal was more concerned about finding my replacement than the reasons why I was leaving. Life went on and I had some really tight times for a while but I didn't starve. These days, I'm not too thrilled about being an nurse but for now it pays the bills and I like my health insurance plan. I've reached the point where I refuse to let anyone (co-workers, pt, administration....who the heck ever) drive me crazy at work. I clock in, do my best, and clock out...mostly on time. This is just a job and if it goes away tomorrow then I will do what I have to do to survive even if it means selling fruit on the side of the road. Life is too short for the B.S and as a nurse you see people who had great health and full lives one day lose it all the very next. Why spend up your life being miserable when youth and health are so fleeting?

I have moved away from bedside nursing in 2010 and still feel a twinge of guilt at times because isn't this why we went to nursing school? To take care of people? I especially feel guilty when I hear a nurse say "this is my calling" or " I could never imagine doing anything other than this" or would see the nurses who worked their schedule and more and seemed to spend almost everyday at the hospital then would voluteer for committees, fundraisers etc. The whole "team spirit" thing. But, after 2 decades in the profession, it or I or both have changed to the point bedside nursing doesn't fit me anymore - to continue to work in that type of position is not fair to myself, the patient or to someone else who is job hunting and needs it. I tried several different flavors of nursing over the years - HH, psych, float pool, dialysis which was as bad to me as the hospital,to see if that would make a difference...it didn't. I tried to get weekend only positions - but many of those are every weekend plus one day during the week now so whay give up every weekend if you still have to work one day/week? I worked temp for an angency Jan and Feb to give myself some time to figure out what I need to do - I am not in a position not to work - I was offered and am going to accept a FT M-F position in a clinic type setting. I know...not as many days off as working 12's but I don't want to get up early, get home 13-14 hrs later, deal w/all the crap - literally and figuratively - that goes on in a hospital now. I need a break from it. I don't expect any job to be 100% perfect, I know the M-F gig is going to require me to make some changes but I don't have kids, just animals and a spouse so it's doable for sure. I will get use to the M-F and if, when, something in a hospital setting comes up that interests me, I may try again. I'm not going to say "never" to the hospital setting but I am going to say "not now." More and more nurses are beginning to speak out about nursing, their dislike of it and eventually the employers will "get it" - but the work em til you burn them out mentality of some employers is insane. Patients are sicker because many wait longer to seek treatment, the computer has advanced us in some ways but has detracted in others and the charting, double charting of meds, procedures is time consuming and a waste.
You have the nursing degree and experience so hopefully you can find something to springboard into. Univsersities, camps, pharm companies, hospices and counties sometimes hire nurses so keep those in mind too. Case management, at least where I live, is extremely competitive to get into and usually requires experience and certification but..keep going...you'll land on your feet somewhere. Good luck.

i was a teacher who was not granted tenure and had to find a new job. couldn't and now i am a senior nursing student. i have friends in education who are doing exactly what op did: education is becoming a horrible place to work. in hindsight, i am lucky i got out when i did. i find nursing school incredibly challenging and pray i make it through. i enjoy nursing and hope to last long enough to retire (i am old).

Hi JennJen512Finally someone who feels the same way that I do. I am almost embarrassed to tell anyone that I really do not like being a nurse. I don't even like to tell people that I am a nurse.I do feel that nursing is not for everyone. I truly feel that nursing is engineered for a nurse to work at the bedside, be a nurse manager, CRNA, or NP. If one does not want to do either one of those jobs then you are stuck.I so badly just want get away from the bedside but it is so hard. The nursing profession makes it seem like there are so many opportunities available for nurse but I would have to disagree. If you don't have the experience then guess what you are not leaving the bedside. I feel so trapped.I go to work everyday dreading going there. I try not to have a bad attitude but I'm fading fast. I don't want to take another bp or push someone in a wheelchair or help someone to the bathroom.But it is unrealistic for me to try to change mid course now as I have been a nurse for 12 years and I'm 37 years old. Let's face it, healthcare = job security. But don't think for one minute that I have not thought about doing exactly what you have done.

Uh...since when? Have you seen all of the unemployed new grads? Healthcare is NOT secure anymore, and please don't take this the wrong way, but you are spreading a falsehood by state the bolded.

And if one DIDN'T want to be a bedside nurse, CRNA, nurse manager, or NP, then why on Earth would they want to be a nurse in the first place???

What a dismal commentary on the state of nursing. Frankly, I only know one nurse that wishes to stay at the bedside in my hospital. She is a new grad and is still quite idealistic. But she is beginning to look tired. Beginning to snipe when there are to many demands and not enough of her to go around. She can't work as fast or as smart as us old farts because she doesn't have the body of knowledge we use to project what we have to do the next hour, the next four hours or the entire day. I rarely leave late but she is always finishing up her work.

I love nursing. I hate what we as nurses have allowed nursing to become. The health care system is broken. We need to get back to patient centered care. But alas the bean counters will not allow it. And we are powerless even though we are 2,000,000 strong in numbers. What a sad, sad, sad state of affairs this has become.

I love being a nurse so its hard for me too understand other nurses who hate the profession altogether. When I was in nursing school i was very passionate and really enjoyed it. Iam not an insecure person so I was confident with what I knew and didn't knew I felt like nursing school was a bootcamp to be coming a nurse. I always thought to my self that I only get to go through it once so enjoy it. My mother has been a nurse for 45 years and is retiring this month. I don't know if its in my blood or something but I have pride in what do. I have worked in hospitals for 12 years. Six years as a Cna and ward clerk. I spent 2 years in medical records after I injured my back and was taking my prereqs for the RN program and going on 4 years as a nurse on med/surg and tele floor. I love what I do and try and do the best job I can everyday. I don't like the politics and lack of management support and disorganized enviroment I work in but you know what iam a nurse and I'd dont care where you put me I can take care of my patients ( iam not talking about unsafe ratios or anything just being able to handle my own)With that being said if you know in your heart that nursing is not for you, then thank you for leaving cause I want to work with passionate and motivating people. I hope you too find your passion. Good luck to you!

I am a second career nurse with 16 mos hospital experience. I left my first job (Med surg/tele) after 14 mos. I hated every day I was there but stuck it out to get in the first year. I moved to an IMC in a different hospital because most jobs I applied to were now asking for 2 years acute care experience. Goal was to do this for a year and move out of bedside nursing which is as stressful and grueling as many previous posters have written. This job was a bit better than my former one but still not great. I left after 2 months when I became the target of a bully co-worker who seriously sabotaged me several times. My thought was "Floor nursing is too d****** hard on a good day but now I have to contend with a sociopath along with everything else?" Manager was a wimp and gave me no backing. I resigned and vowed to myself..."No more bedside nursing for me, no matter what!" Less than 2 months later, I had 2 job offers. I accepted a position with the health department and am hoping that it will help me redeem my hope that nursing can be a rewarding profession. Have you looked at non-bedside nursing options? I wish you the best.

Congratulations on a wise decision! I truly would prefer working short staffed than with someone who "hates nursing."

Please, do not listen to those telling you that nursing has other opportunities. I have worked with too many administrative and educational nurses who hate nursing. They obviously hate nursing and want to prove that nursing "sucks" to their pupils / subordinates.

On the plus side, I know someone who "hated nursing," but became an assistant manager, then started her own succesful small business. You passed nursing school, and survived years in practice, you can succeed in many other fields.

Good luck, and thank you, for not staying in nursing.

Last edit by Woodenpug on Mar 6, '12
: Reason: i before e except after c and in words rhyming with neighbor and sleigh, now that's weird.

for me it took almost a quarter of a century & some serious soul searching (not to mention the death of 2 family members) to realize I was in the wrong career. In my case, it was IT I bailed on. Needless to say, even being financially back up against the wall I'm not interested in sticking my head back into that particular meatgrinder - get the shakes just thinking about it.

Know what you mean about feeling so much better about a situation - it was just such a relief not to ... more being subjected to continual harassment by managers & co-workers. No more being under continual electronic scrutiny. No more doing work that always seemed to be totally useless & meaningless. Happy sigh!

As for me - newly minted CNA & working on prereqs to move into an LVN/ADN/BSN program, while looking for a paying gig - and, looking forward to the change!

----- Dave

LOL - all the times I have had daydreams of sitting in front of a computer screen to earn money, rather than trying to keep a high number of sick people happy.

After all these years, though, I have found that the one thing I can NOT tolerate is boredom, & that's one thing that nursing rarely is. Also the 1 or 2 people who smile & are happy because of me, does in the end make up for all the awful stuff.
I am now teaching, & it is always so fascinating to me to have people from accounting, I.T., etc, coming into nursing - always for the right reasons, & they will improve the field for everybody.

I love being a nurse so its hard for me too understand other nurses who hate the profession altogether. When I was in nursing school i was very passionate and really enjoyed it. Iam not an insecure person so I was confident with what I knew and didn't knew I felt like nursing school was a bootcamp to be coming a nurse. I always thought to my self that I only get to go through it once so enjoy it. My mother has been a nurse for 45 years and is retiring this month. I don't know if its in my blood or something but I have pride in what do. I have worked in hospitals for 12 years. Six years as a Cna and ward clerk. I spent 2 years in medical records after I injured my back and was taking my prereqs for the RN program and going on 4 years as a nurse on med/surg and tele floor. I love what I do and try and do the best job I can everyday. I don't like the politics and lack of management support and disorganized enviroment I work in but you know what iam a nurse and I'd dont care where you put me I can take care of my patients ( iam not talking about unsafe ratios or anything just being able to handle my own)With that being said if you know in your heart that nursing is not for you, then thank you for leaving cause I want to work with passionate and motivating people. I hope you too find your passion. Good luck to you!